The Jews Hate Rand, European Deposit Tax, Privatized Senate Barbershop, Buying Access To The King, And The U.N. Arms Trade Treaty: Monday Morning News Roundup 3-18-2013

Here is a collection of some of the stories that Personal Liberty staffers will be keeping an eye on throughout the day. Click the links for the full stories.

• Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) won the 2013 CPAC straw poll, which usually serves as an indicator of how conservatives will vote moving forward.

• The National Jewish Democratic Council decried the CPAC straw poll result, saying in a statement: “Senator Paul has called multiple times to cut and end American aid to Israel, and has refused to rule out a containment strategy vis-à-vis Iran. Paul’s misguided foreign policy views are nothing short of dangerous, and his growing legitimacy among the GOP’s base is only another reason why the vast majority of Jewish Americans consistently support the Democratic Party.”

• In a bid to bail out Cyprus, the European Union has developed a plan to raid bank accounts in the Eurozone via a deposit tax. Unsurprisingly, bank runs are under way and financial markets are reeling.

• The barbershop of the U.S. Senate has run deficits of about $350,000 a year for each of the past 15 years. Senate Sergeant at Arms Terry Gainer has decided to try to privatize the Senate barbershop in a bid to cut waste.

• The White House has barred commoners from the Presidential palace by shutting down guided tours; but if you have $500,000, you can buy face time with King Obama himself.

• U.N. negotiations open today in New York on the Arms Trade Treaty, which would require countries to determine whether weapons they sell would be used to commit serious human rights violations, terrorism or transnational organized crime.

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